Multicolored automatic pencil



. J. CABALLERO ET AL .uvwrconomsn AUTOMATIC rancm Oct. 22, 1929.

Filed 001;. 2:; 1928 INVENTOR Juan Cuba/ BY Jew/5L e2 7%,); ORlEY Patented a. 22, 1929 i UNITED STATES-PATENT} oFFica JUAN GAIBALLERO, or sou'ria ORANGE, AND JESUS mm, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY MULTIQOLORED AUTOMATIC PENCIL This invention relates to multi-colored automatic pencils, that is, pencils in which any one of a plurality of differently colored leads may be selected and protruded to writing position at the will of the operator.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a device of this nature with an extremely simple combined selecting and protruding means. Other objects are'to produce a device of this nature which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, consisting of few parts, the principal selecting and protruding elements being formed of stampings, and all of the parts being designed with special ref-- erence to ready and cheap assembly Another object is to produce a construction adapted for any desired number of different colors of leads, andwhile only four are provided for in the embodiment shown, it will be obvious that the principle may be expanded so as to embrace fewer or more than this number of changes.

Other objects will appear from the follow ing description and one form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a view showing the outer casing in section and certain other parts in section and broken away for the sake of clearness.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail elevations of the two principal selecting and protruding members.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a blank from which the member of Fig. 3 is made.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-'5 of Fi 8.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a blank from which the member of Fig. 2 is made.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a detail erspective view of the magazine and leadollower guide member.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in all views.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to Figs. 1 and 7, 2O represents the main shell or finger ip by which the operator holds the penci in ordinary writing operations. This member 20 is reduced as at 21 so as to fit into a cap 22 formed about the axis of the pencil.

with a slot or sight opening 23. A lower casing member 24 of conical formation forms the other outer member and is provided with an aperture 25 thru which the leads are protruded. This member 24 is preferably formed with an internal spline or ridge 240 which fits into a groove 241 in a protruding device to be later described. Members 20 and 24 are therefore movable relatively Referring to Figs. 5 and 8, 26 represents a guide member formed with a plurality of slots or ways 27 corresponding in number to the number of different colored leads to be accommodated. The pencil shown is designed for four colors, but by making more or less slots 27 a greater or less number of leads may be accommodated. The member 26 is-formed with spaces 28 between the slots 27 in which spaces or magazines extra leads 29 may be stored. The upperend of member 26 is extended into a central threaded portion 29 over which a washer 30 is placed and held down by a cup-shaped member 31 which may carry an eraser 32. As shown, the upper ends of slots 27 are made to receive circular or coiled springs while the lower portions are madeof rectangular cross-section so as to guide lead followers and prevent the latter rom turning in the guides or ways. Holes 280 permit the leads to be removed from the chambers 28, there being registered holes in washer 30 and the bottom of 31, and the eraser 32 normally preventing escape of the leads.

Mounted in each guide way 27 is a follower bar or lead-carrier 33 of rectangular crosssection to fit in the way 27. Each bar 33 is offset at its lower end as indicated at 34 and isprovided with a loosely fitted lead-carrying socket 35 in which is held a lead 29 of the reuired color. The several bars 33 are guided t ru slots formed in a member 36 which covers the bottom of the member 26, whereby they are confined in the slots. Each bar 33 is provided near its upper end with a lateral lug or finger 37, and each bar 33 is provided with a respective spring 38. These springs bear against their bars 33 when the latter are in elevated position; and against the shoulder 39 formed by the change in cross-section of the way 27, when the respective bars 33 are moved down tolead-protruding position.

- The upper ends of the springs bear against Washer 30. v

A blank 40, Fig. 6, is rolled into the cylindrical form shown in Fig. 2 providing a spiral slot 41 terminating at its upper end in an inclined cam face 42. The upper face of member 40 is also provided with an abrupt face 43. soldered, brazed or otherwise permanently secured to the lower end of member 40 is a collar 44, Fig. 1, of slightly increased diameter. The relative diameters of mem bers 40 and 44 is such that the cap 36 may be inserted in collar 44 but cannot rise above the lower end of member 40.

A blank 45, Fig. 4 is rolled to a cylindrical form as shown in Fig. 3, having a substantially vertical slot 46 which is offset at 47 and terminates in inclined surfaces 48 and i 49.- While this member 45 is shown in Fig.

1 as slightly clearing the inner surface of member 20, it"really is just a springy fit, so

that it is substantially solid with member 20 during use of the pencil but is easily removed and inserted for assembly and repair purposes. v

. With the device assembled as shown in Fig. 1, operation of the pencil is as follows:

The operator holds the shell 20 firmly in one hand, and with the otherhand turns the the finger 37 and crowds the latter down the member 24 to the right. This causes the member 40 to turn in the same direction and its shoulder 43 crowds the pin or finger 37 with which it is engaged up the incline 49 until this finger37' is on top of member 45 at which time the finger 37 escapes the shoulder 43 and member 26 will have been' .turned far enough so that the next member member 31 and may be seen or read thru the.

opening23. When the required finger 37 comes into registry with the slot 46 and dropsv down into said slot to the off-set 47, the operator reverses the direction in which he turns the member 24 and the slot'4l engages q slot 46. thereby efie'cting protruding of the required lead, into'writing1position. The

bevel 42 prevents member 40 from, picking up any oth r fingers 37 an'dj the. devic'e.

j ..While there'gdeseribed what we believeto be the'most desirable embodiment of ourinventiomwe do not wish to be considered as limit ng the invention to; the' -'spe-.

'riers carried by said guide member and cific embodiment described, nor to anything less than the whole of our invention as herein described and hereinafter claimed.

What we claim is:

1. The combination with -a casing, of a longitudinally slotted member secured within said casing, a spirally slotted member arranged within the first said slotted member, a guide member arranged within the second slotted member, and a plurality of lead-carriers carried by said guide member and formed with means for engaging the slots of both of said slotted members.

2. The combination with a casing, of a longitudinally slotted member secured to said casing, a spirally slotted member arranged within the first said'slotted member, a guide member arranged within the second slotted member, a plurality of lead-carformed with means for engaging the slots of both of said slotted members, and resilient means for urging the engaging means into engagement with said slots.

3. The combination with a casing, of a longitudinally slotted member secured within said casing, a spirally slotted and shouldered member arranged within the first said slotted member, a guide member arranged within the second slotted member, and a plurality of lead-carriers carried by said guide member andformed with means for engaging the slots of both of said slotted members and the shoulder of said spirally slotted member. 1

4. The combination with a casing, of a longitudinally slotted member secured to said casin a spirally slotted and shouldered mem er arranged within the first said slotted member, a guide member arranged within the second slotted member, a plurality of lead-carriers carried by said guide member and formed with means for engaging the slots of both of said slotted members and the shoulder of said spirally slotted member, and resilient means for urging the elngaging means into engagement with said s o s. I

5. The combination of a cylindrical member formed with a longitudinal slot having an off-set portion, a second cylindrical member formed with a spiral slotand a shoulder, and a plurality of lead carriers operatively associated with said members and eacn formed witha finger for en aging said slots 1 of both cylindrical mem ers and said shoulder of the second cylindrical member.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

JUAN CABALLERO. JESUS LOPEZ. 

